I. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to the field of protecting email messages. Specifically, and without limitation, the invention relates to allowing users to protect the users' emails in mobile devices from tampering by third parties, if the mobile devices are lost to the third parties.
II. Background Information
Email systems are relied by virtually every major business around the world. Content found in email systems may contain personal as well as confidential information that are extremely valuable to a company. When an employee's emails are disclosed to third parties, any confidential information may be leaked to the outside world and thus harm the company. With mobile handset devices gaining popularity, it is increasingly common for employees to store email information in such devices. Not, however, a lot of cautious measures have been paid by both employees and companies regarding the safety measures with protecting the contents stored in these devices. When a user carrying mobile devices enters into an area that is restricted by the user's company, would the user's emails in the devices be lost easily? Additionally, what if a user's mobile device is lost to a third party by accident? Should extra protection be paid by the user's company to adopt preventive measures against stolen or lost mobile devices? This invention is intended to reduce the impact brought by such problems.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need for phones that protect email messages of corporate users. There is also a need for phones that can restrict how email messages should be controlled when mobile devices of corporate users are lost.
Embodiments of the present invention relate to phones for protecting email messages. Certain embodiments of the invention include a mobile phone that comprises a processor, and a memory. The mobile phone is configured to allow provisioning of a safety feature that operates totally independent of a carrier's control. The memory stores instructions to be executed by the processor.
The instructions comprise receiving an instruction from a user to enable a safety feature, wherein the user is an end user of a mobile phone whose network coverage from a phone carrier includes a geographic area such as a country or a state; disabling data connection with the carrier, for security reasons; requesting the user for information for enabling a safety feature that allows the user, through an electronic map produced by the mobile phone, to denote a sub-geographic region that is a smaller region within the geographic area, wherein the sub-geographic region is labeled as a dangerous reception area; a sub-sub-geographic region that is a smaller region within the sub-geographic area, wherein the sub-sub-geographic region is labeled as a safe reception area; a building that is within the geographic area, wherein the building is labeled as a very dangerous reception area; a floor of the building, wherein the floor is labeled as a safe reception area; an embassy building that is within the geographic area, wherein the embassy building is labeled as an extreme dangerous reception area; and an open area within the embassy, wherein the open area is labeled as a safe reception area.
In the embodiments, the instructions may further comprise receiving an answer from the user, wherein the answer includes the sub-geographic region; the sub-sub-geographic region; the building; the floor of the building; the embassy; and the open area. In addition, after receiving an answer from the user, the instructions further comprise enabling the safety feature in view of the received answer.
Further, the instructions comprise re-enabling data connection with the carrier, after setting up the safety feature; after the mobile phone entering the sub-geographic region labeled as the dangerous reception area by a third party unknown to the user, detecting current location being the dangerous reception area by a location-identification device included physically in the mobile phone.
Alternatively, after the mobile phone entering the sub-geographic region labeled as the dangerous reception area, the mobile phone may be configured to detect of the phone is being carried by a third party unknown to the user. The phone may be configured to detect current location being the dangerous reception area by a location-identification device included physically in the mobile phone; erasing all emails currently stored in the mobile phone; and all contacts currently stored in the mobile phone; after leaving the sub-geographic region labeled as the dangerous reception area by the third party unknown to the user, detecting current location being the safe reception area by the location-identification device included physically in the mobile phone; and allowing the third party to use the mobile phone with an empty set of email inbox and an empty set of contact list.
In yet a different embodiment, the inventive phone may erase all emails currently stored in the mobile phone, and all contacts currently stored in the mobile phone. After leaving the sub-geographic region labeled as the dangerous reception area by the third party unknown to the user, the phone may further detect current location being the safe reception area by the location-identification device included physically in the mobile phone; and allow the third party to use the mobile phone with an empty set of email inbox and an empty set of contact list.
Even further, after the emails are erased, they can be restored. In a different embodiment, the phone may comprise steps restoring the emails to the mobile phone; and the contacts to the mobile phone; and allowing the user to use the mobile phone with a complete set of email inbox and a complete set of contact list.
In yet a different embodiment, the phone may be configure to alert the carrier to report that a third party has entered the very dangerous reception area. Further, the phone may request the carrier to determine whether all emails currently stored in the mobile phone should be erased permanently; and all contacts currently stored in the mobile phone should be erased permanently. If allowed by the carrier, the phone may erase all emails currently stored in the mobile phone permanently; all contacts currently stored in the mobile phone permanently; all emails currently stored in the carrier permanently. Alternatively, the removal of the emails may be temporarily, in that they can be restored later on.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not restrictive of the scope of the invention, described and as claimed. Furthermore, features and variations may be provided in addition to those set forth herein. For example, embodiments of the invention may be directed to various combinations and sub-combinations of the features described in the detailed description.